Tying machine



B. H. BUNN TYING MACHINE Feb. 24, 1942;

Original Filed July 16, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 QQQQM M.

Feb. 24, 1942. B. H. BUNN- 2,274,525

TYING MACHINE Original Filed July 16, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 u .15 fzadezozav I i Zayamz'zo jffizuaza Patented Feb. 24, 1942 TYING MACHINE Benjamin H. Bunn, Chicago, Ill. assignor to B. H. Bunn Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Original application July 16, 1937, Serial No. 153,940. Divided and this application June 26, 1939, Serial No. 281,197

10 Claims.

My invention relates to tying machines and especially to that type of tying machine which puts one or more wraps of twine about a package and then ties a knot in the ends of the twine.

In general my present invention is concerned with certain improvements in the details of the tying machines shown in my prior patents, No. 1,606,290 of November 9, 1926, and No, 1,994,453 of March 19, 1935. This application is a division of my Patent No. 2,182,959 of December 12, 1939 (Serial No. 153,940, filed July 16, 1937). Among these improvements are the following:

(a) An improved conformation and relative mounting of the twine catcher--the button which holds the free end of the twine during th wrapping and while the knot is being formed, and which also retains the future second end of the twine after the wrapping has been completed and while the knot is being formed-whereby the same twine catcher may hold different sizes of twine with fairly uniform tension and without the necessity of adjustment for different sizes of twine, and also to prevent a self camming action of the twine which otherwisewould cause it to be retained too securely for release at the proper time;

(b) A better engagement, by th tip-up arm, of the reach of twine passing from the anchored end to the package being wrapped to bring it into proper position for the rotating head of the knotter. This reach of string is laid at the initiation of the first wrap of the twine and by the time the wrapping is completed and the tying of the knot is commenced, there is some danger of the shifting of the reach-du either to an accidental shifting of the package or to sliding of the twine upon the package due to a sloping conformation of the package-with the result that, to be consistently effective, the tip-up arm must be so arranged that it will properly elevate and position that reach of twine despite considerable shifting thereof from its expected position; and

Improved form and movement for the draw slide" for insuring better performance of its function-in a multi-wrap operationof passing the twine in the preliminary wrap, or wraps, past the twine catcher but insuring that on the final wrap the twine is properly caught by the twine catcher as the twine is drawn from the wrapping arm,

The foregoing, together with further objects,

companying drawings. The description and drawings are intended primarily to disclose my present improvements over the disclosures of my previously mentioned prior patents, and the reader is referred to those prior patents for a more complete disclosure of the nature and operation of the parts shown and for the mechanism by which the parts shown are mounted and operatedin properly timed sequence. Also, for a more convenient reference back to my prior patents, I have here employed the same reference characters as are used in the prior patents to identify the same, or corresponding, parts. To avoid confusion because of this use of the reference characters in accordance with my prior patents, I have in this application employed the prefix A for all new reference characters added herein. Thus, reference characters carrying the prefix A" do not necessarily correspond with parts identified by the same number in my prior patents.

My present improvements are here shown as incorporated in the disclosure of my Patent No. 1,994,453 rather than the disclosure of my Patent No. 1,606,290. The disclosure of my Patent No. 1,994,453 differs from that of my Patent No. 1,606,290 chiefly in the elimination of the package positioning guides and package clamp, and in the modification of the wrapping arm drive mechanism whereby the wrapping arm puts one wrap of twine about the package and then pauses until the operator actuates a foot pedal to resume the Wrapping thereby the wrapping arm forms a second wrap, the end of which is caught in the twine catcher. Then the knotting operation is performed in accordance with my Patent No. 1,606,290. The purpose of the pause between the first andsecond wrappings is to permit the operator to turn the package through so that one wrap is longitudinal and one wrap is transverse. If desired, however, the wraps may be parallel and together, in which case the package is not turned during the pause. I contemplate, as set forth in my Patent No. 1,994,453, that provision may be made for more than two wraps.

Many aspects of my present invention are not confined to a multi-wrap tying machine, but some of them are particularly advantageous where a plurality of wraps is employed and therefore I have here illustrated an embodiment of my invention where two wraps are employed, one longitudinally of the package and one transversely thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the knotting mechanism and associated parts corresponding with Fig. of my Patent No. 1,994,453 (and in turn corresponding with Fig. 8 of my Patent No. 1,606,290) except that less of the operating mechv anism for the knotter is shown, and except that the parts are shown in the position they occupy at a later stage in the formation of the knot-a stage immediately before that of Fig. 16 of my Patent No. 1,606,290.

, Fig. 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective view showing in phantom the package being wrapped and showing the two wraps of twine in place on the phantom package and with the parts in the position or stage immediately following that of Fig. 1. In this figure the parts are viewed from the same side as in Fig. 1 but partly from above and from the left.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 2 but at an earlier stage in the cycle of operation, namely, as the third side of the second wrap is being formed and just before the twine of the third wrap is caught in the twine catcher to anchor the other end as well during the tying operation. In this figure, as Well as in Fig. 2, many of the parts shown in Fig. 1 are omitted for clarity or indicated only in broken lines.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the knotter, partly in section, tak n on the line 44 of Fig. 1 and showing the knotter in the position of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the tip-up arm, or twine lifting lever, corresponding to Fig. 34 of my Patent No. 1,606,290.

Fig. 6 is a plan section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1 showing the twine catcher and its mounting but with the twine removed.

Fig. '7 is a plan view of the knotter head as it is being moved backwardly and the knot stripped from its beak by the strippers and showing in plan the parts of Fig. 4 at a later stage.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the horizontally pivoted stripper which engages the right (Fig. 1) side of the knotter beak.

Fig. 9 is a front end elevation of the stripper of Fig. 8, and

Figs. 10a to 106, inclusive, are views of the various sides of the twine catcher block as viewed from the front (Fig. 1), the top, the right (Fig. 1) side, the bottom, and the left (Fig. 1) side of the block. The purpose of this set of figures is to show the contour of the front face of the block against which the back, or shoulder, of the twine catcher button co-operates in holding the twine.

The package P to be wrapped is here shown as of rectangular box-lik form but it may be of other form or in the nature of a bundle or of a stack of sheets, such as labels or the like, whether sheet wrapped or not. The package is set upon a table 84 suitably mounted on the general frame 50 of the machine, with one side of the package against the shoulder formed by the normal downward flexing of the forward edge of the right (Fig. 1) hand portion 840 of the table. The end TI of the twine T is caught between the head onbutton I23 and the block I of the twine catcher (Fig. 3). By its first counter-clockwise rotation, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, the wrapping arm 92 has passed around all four sides of the package P while the package was disposed at 90 to the position shown in Fig. 3. Thereby the first wrap T2 has been laid longitudinally about the package. Following the first wrap T2, and as set forth in detail in my Patent No. 1,994,453, rotation of the wrapping arm 92 is suspended while the operator has turned the package through 90 to the position of Fig. 3 and until the operator has pressed a control pedal to resume the wrapping operation. Thereupon the wrapping arm 92 commences a second rotation which forms the second wrap T3. In the position of Fig. 3 the twine may be traced as follows:

The end TI is caught in the twine catcher between the head I23 and the front face of the block I29. From there a reach of twine T4 extends to the concatenation T5 and thence longitudinally around the package as the first wrap T2, back to the concatenation T5 and then across one-half of the bottom, upwardly along the adjacent side, and across the top to form part of the second wrap T3. In Fig. 3 the wrapping arm 92 has completed about three-quarters of its second wrapping revolution and the twine extends directly from the top reach of the second wrap T3 obliquely downwardly to the tip guide of the wrapping arm 92, as indicated at T6.

The twine catcher is disposed substantially in the vertical plane in which the tip of the wrapping arm 92 rotates. For this reason, after the wrapping arm 92 has rotated a few degrees beyond the position of Fig. 3, the reach T6 of the twine will engage the twine catcher and be caught in the space between the rear face of the head I23 and the front face of the block I20.

At this int I wish to describe the mechanism which preve ts the reach of twine extending from the package to the wrapping arm from being caught by the twine catcher during the first wrap but which insures its being caught in the second wrap, as just described.

A plate I 32 is mounted on the main frame of the machine for horizontal reciprocation a spaced distance below the table 84. That portion of the plate I32 which underlies the table is guided by a pair of tandem slots A25 and A26 into which extend studs or pins A21 fixedly carried by the main frame. This provides a generally rectilinear path for reciprocatory movement of the plate I32. One end of the plate I32 carries a U-shaped projection I35. The inner end A26 of the slot A26 is offset slightly from the center line of the main body of the slot A26 and of the slot A21. Thus the reciprocation of the plate I32 and consequently of the free end of the U-shaped projection I35 is strictly rectilinear, unless and until the plate is slid so that the pins A21 come to the far end of their slots. In that case one ,of the pins enters the offset slot portion A26 and moves the free end of the projection I35 laterally away from the reader.

Reciprocation of the plate I32 is effected by one arm of a bell crank I21 pivoted at I28 to a bracket carried by the machine frame. The free end of the arm engages a bifurcated or slotted boss I3l which depends from the plate I32. At the proper times in the cycle of the machine, the cam which rocks the bell crank I27 causes the plate I32 to be reciprocated to its several positions.

When the wrapping arm passes its position of Fig. 3, but on the first wrap, the bell crank holds the plate I32 in a position where the pin A21 is in the main body of the slot A26 but near the inner end thereof. In-that position the free end of the projection I35 is nearer the reader and its outer edge serves as a guide to carry the oblique reach of twine past the twine catcher I23. But when the wrapping arm 92 reaches the position of Fig. 3 on its second wrap, the bell crank I 21 has shifted the plate I32 so that the pins A21 come at theinner ends of their slots, including the offset portion A26. This produces a lateral shifting about the rearward pin A21 so that the outer face of the free end of the projection I35 is offset from the plane of the twine catcher I23 and permits the oblique reach of twine to be engaged thereby. Continued movement of the wrapping arm to the completion of the second wrap, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, leaves the final reach of twine engaged by the twine catcher along with the initial end TI.

This lateral shifting of the projection I35 for better insuring the passing or engagement of the twine catcher by the twine during the wrapping operations, is one of the features of my present 7 invention. According to my two earlier patents mentioned, the plate I32 had only a simple rec-- tilinear movement, and the twine was caused to engage the twine catcher I23 in the last wrapthe wrap which immediately precedesthe tyingby merely withdrawing the free end of the extension I35 by the rectilinear movement of the plate I32, leaving a gap or space between the free end thereof and the twine catcher into which the oblique reach of twine would snap under tension. This was because the edge face of the extension I35 was in a plane slightly toward the reader from the plate of the twine catcher I23. By my present invention that gap is still provided, but in addition the offset end of the slot A26 causes a lateral shifting away, from the reader as the oblique reach of twine passes toward the twine catcher in the last wrap. The edge face of the extension I35 is thereby and at that time shifted into the plane of the abutment of the twine catcher button with the block I20, and the twine is not required to snap under its tension inwardly to that plane, as was formerly required. Previously there would occasionally be a momentary impairmentof the tension necessary to cause that snapping back to the proper plane for engagement by the twine catcher and the final wrap would fail to catch.

After the oblique reach of twine T6 has thus been caught by the twine catcher I23in the last wrap, nd the wrapping arm 92 has been brought to rest'in its normal position of Fig. 2, the slide is moved to the right from the position shown in Fig. 3. As the pin A21 slides out of the offset portion A26 into the main body of the slot A26, the free end of the U-shaped projection I35 is shifted toward the reader to its normal plane, and it is then brought to the right so that the V-shaped end edge thereof engages the reach of twine T6 and also the first reach of twine T4 and carries them beneath the break of the knotter head. That is the position shown in Fig. 12 of my Patent No, 1,606,290. The knotter head is carried on the upper end of a knotter shaft I51 (Fig. 4) and comprises a member I58 carry- I ing integrally therewith an upper jaw I59 with a lower jaw I60 pivotally mounted on the member I58 to co-operate with the upper jaw. The lower jaw I60 is bell crank in form, and its lower offset arm carries a roller I6I which engages an annular cam face I56 provided at the upper end of the boss I55 in which the knotter shaft I51 is journaled. The lower end of the shaft I51 carries a gear I68 driven by a bevel gear I69 (Fig. 1) whereby the knotter head is rotated at the proper time. The knotter shaft journaling boss I55 is carried at the upper end of a knotter bracketing member I 48 which is pivotally mounted on a transverse pin I49 on a bracket I29 depending from the main frame. The lower end of the member I48 comprises an arm I50, at the bottom of which is a roller (not shown) engaged wardly or push it forwardly as required. The I reader is referred to my Patent 1,606,290 for further details of the mounting and operating mechanism for the knotter bracketing element I46.

In the position of Fig. 3, the knotter head is in its normal rearward position behind the plane of the wrap. After the last wrap of twine is caught in the twine catcher I23 and the plate I32 starts to slide to the right to the position of Fig. 2, the bracketing element I48 is rocked to bring the knotter head forwardly with its beak projecting through the plane of the last wrap. Thus by the time the plate I32 reaches its rightmost position, the free end of the projection I35 is beneath the beak of the knotter.

The sliding plate I32, as just described, brings the two reaches T4 and T6 of the twine to the right of the knotter beak, as shown in Fig. 2.

The tip-up lever I89 now engages the first reach of twine T4 and lifts it upwardly so that a portion of that reach will lie along the righthand side of the knotter beak, so that when the knotter beak turns counterclockwise both reaches of twine will be wrapped about the beak. The tip-up lever I89, as shown in Fig. 5, carries a shaft I88 by which it is conveniently journaled on a portion of the main frame. The rocking of the lever is effected by link I9I. One end of the link I9I is pivoted to the lever I89 and the other end to a pin (not shown) carried by the knotter bracketing frame I48. The reader is referred to my prior Patent 1,606,290 for further details of the operating mechanism for the tip-up lever I89. Suflice it to say that the link I9I serves to swing the lever I89 upwardly when the knotter beak is rocked forwardly about the pivoting pin I49 for the bracketing frame I48.

The tip-up lever I89 carries a transverse slot I90 which engages the reach of twine T4 and moves it upwardly to the position of Fig. 1 (although in the position of Fig. 1 the knotter head has rotated through a complete revolution to wrap the two reaches of twine about the beak). A comparison of Fig. 5 with Fig. 34 of my prior Patent 1,606,290 will best show the improvement I have made in the tip-up lever I89. Previously the slot I90 was so formed that the upper and lower walls of the slot were of equal depth and the tension of the reach of twine was relied upon to cause the twine to snap into the slot I90 in order that it be properly engaged. By my present invention I build up the height of the lower wall of the slot I90, as indicated at A28, so that it projects outwardly beyond the margin of the upper wall. In this way the reach of twine T4 is more positively engaged by the projecting portion A28 of the lower wall of the slot I90 instead of relying wholly on the tension of the reach of twine to snap it into the slot I90. This constitutes another feature of the present invention.

I have now described the cycle of operation and structure involved up to the position of Fig. 2, which shows the reach of twine T4 pulled upwardly along the right side of the knotter beak'as the result of the lifting action of the tip-up lever I89. The next step is the rotation of the knotter head. Means for effecting the rotation, beyond the bevel gears I68 and I69, is not here illustrated and I refer the reader to my prior Patent 1,606,290 for further disclosure. 1

The knotter head rotates counterclockwise. when viewed from above. As the knotter head the advancing side of the-beak. .By the time the knotter" has made half of its'revolutionthat 15,-;

by .thetime --its' beak points. rarwardl'i-th reachesof twine T4 and T6 arewrapped' side by side a full turn-aboutthe knotterbeak. As the knotterhead rotates from its half revolution position to its three-quarter revolution position,

I the roller I6 I o'n the lower jaw? I60 of the knotter beak rides up ontothe protruding or eccentric portion of the cam surface. I56, causing the jaws of thebeak to open and receive the two substantially parallel reaches of twine. After'this, and

as the knotter head reaches the end of its full revolution, the roller I60 rides oif the protruding sliding plate I32 has been withdrawn after the first quarter of revolution of the knotter head. The tip-up lever I89is still in elevatedposition, but its function is no longer required and it will be turned downwardly when the knotter beak is drawn rearwardly toits normal position.

The next step in the knotting operation is to pull that portion of the two reaches of twine, which are grasped within the knotter beak, backwardly through the portions of twine which encircle the knotter beak externally, to form the characteristic loop of a twine knot. To do this the knotter beak is withdrawn backwardly while the twine, which encircles the beak externally, is held against going backwardly with the knotter beak, and hence the knotter beak is pulled out from the encircling twine as the beak pulls some of the twine through the encircling twine to term the loop of double twine.

This rearward withdrawal of the knotter beak is effected by rocking its bracketing member I48 about its pivotal mounting I49 on the main frame. The twine which externally encircles the knotter beak is precluded from backward movement along with the beak by a stripper I38 which engages the right side of the knotter beak to strip the encircling twine therefrom as the knotter beak moves backwardly. In my Patent No. 1,606,290 I show additionally an auxiliary stripper for the left side of the beak. It is not shown here because 1 find that with my present improvements the auxiliary stripper may safely be omit-.

ted in most installations.

The stripping means which engages the righthand (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) side of the knotter beak comprises a generally horizontal stripper plate I38 carried beneath the table 840 and illustrated per se in Figs. 8 and 9. By means of a depending lateral flange it is pivoted about a transverse horizontal axis to the main frame of the machine. Its forward end is turned downwardly to form a lip I39, at the left-hand edge of which is a slot I40. The left-hand edge of the lip I39 is adapted to engage the right-hand face of the knotter beak as the knotter beak is moved rearwardly, thereby stripping the encircling twine from the beak. The slot I40 is of a size calculated starts to rotate from the position shown in Fig. 2 the reaches of twine T6 and T4 are engaged. by"

side'otthe-rearwardly moving beak. The purto accommodate two side by side portions of pose of the slot I40 is-to accommodate these portions of twine so that the stripping lip I39 will not cut them. The improvement which I have made by my present invention in the stripping plate I38 is the provision of a milled counterslot A29 in the forward 'face of the lip I39, so arranged that it forms an acute'angle for the stripping edge A30 of thelip I39. This acute angled stripping edge A30 is better calculated to engage and strip the encircling twine from the knotter beak. Previously, with a right-angled stripping edge, there was more tendency for the stripping plate to ride over the encircling twine on occasion without properly stripping it. The acute angled stripping edge tends to wedge itself between the righthand face of the knotter beak and the twine and precludes danger of the stripper riding over the twine and failingto strip it.

It will be understood that the stripper I38 is normally out of position so that it does not interfere with the rotation of the knotter head, but after the knotter head has completed its rotation it is brought into stripping position gurIiKng the backward withdrawal of the knotter The adjacent ends of the two reaches of twine T6 and T4, being caught side by side in the twine catcher I23, are anchored during the tying operation. As previously stated, the parallel portions of twine, which are grasped in the jaws of the knotter beak, are pulled through the pair of encircling portions of twine which have been wrapped about the knotter beak. The other ends of the reaches of twine T4 and T6 are held by the package and by the concatenation T5. The length of twine which is pulled backwardly by the knotter beak to form the loop of the knot, comes from the length of the beak-encircling twine. In other words, the side by side knot loops which are pulled out by the knotter beak are formed, for the most part, of twine which was originally in the encircling portions of twine which become of progressively less circumference as the encircling twine is stripped toward the tapared or pointed end of the beak as the knotter head is drawn backwardly.

I shall describe the completion of the knotting operation and then revert to a discussion of an improvement I have made in the knotter beak.

As the encircling twine is stripped off the point of the beak and the knot loops are formed by the backward movement of the knotter beak, a cutter carrier I19, which is pivotally mounted on a suitable bracket carried by the main frame, is swung outwardly and downwardly so that its groove or notch I engages the initial reach of twine T4 and moves it downwardly so that it will not be cut by' the cutter blade I83 borne by the carrier I19. The cutter blade I89, however, will cut the reach of twine T6 a short distance to the right of its anchorge on the twine catcher I23. That leaves the twine extending from the end of the wrapping arm to the twine catdher but severed shortly therebeyond, so that that portion of the twine is ready for the next cycle of twine; Specifically, these are thetwo-portions'of 1 twine whichemerge to the right from the in-I terior-ofth'e jaw which is graspingthe two side i by side portions of twinewhlch it has previously 7 received. As the encircling twine is strippedfrom thebeak, these two emergingportions of twine, which will ultimately form theloop of the knot, 1

operation. The continued downward swinging of the cutter carrier notch or groove I35 pulls the original reach of twine T4 loose from its anchorage on the twine catcher I23 against its frictional retention thereby. This frees the knot entirely from anchorage on the machine, and the wrapped and tied package P may then be removed, leaving the machine free for the next cycle of operation upon another package.

Having now completed a description of a complete cycle of operation and the pertinent structure involved, I shall return to a description of the improvements I have made by the present invention in the knotter head. One improvement consists in shifting the crown AM of the knotter head to the rearward side of the axis of the knotter shaft I51, as best shown in Fig. 4. With the crown or highest point on the knotter head placed at the side of the axis opposite from the point of the beak, I am better assured that the pair of beak encircling portions of twine will be urged toward the point of the beak when they are tightened. Previously the crown of the head has been on the side of the axis toward the beak and on occasion the encircling twine has lodged in the region of the axis and behind the crown and has not progressed properly toward the point of the beak, because in doing so it would have to ride up over the crown.

Another improvement in the knotter head consists in the conformation of that portion of the beak which receives the side by side portions of twin which are to be pulled through the encircling twine to form the knot loops. Still re- I ferring to Fig. 4, the underside of the upper jaw I59 is flat and horizontal. The top face of the lower jaw I60 is cut out to provide a shoulder A32 and a horizontal ledge A33 parallel with the under 'face'of the upper jaw I59 and spaced therefrom by a distance slightly less than the minimum diameter of twine which will be employed and extending rearwardly (to the left, Fig. 4) from the shoulder A32. The ledge'A33 extends horizontally and parallel with the underfac of the upper jaw I59 for a distance rearwardly of the shoulder A32, which distance is a little more than two twine diameters. Rearwardly of that the ledge is inclined as shown at A34. The free end of a leaf spring I62 engages the roller I6I on the depending arm of the lower jaw I60 yieldingly to close the lower jaw against the upper jaw. When the jaws are opened, as previously explained, in the course of a revolution of the knotter head, the two side by side portions of twine are received therein near the bight of the open jaw, so that when the lower a jaw I is again closed the portions of twine engaged by the jaw lie close to the bight and against the encircling twine, as shown in Fig. 4. However, the inclined face A34 of the jaw I30 affords sufficient clearance at that region so that the portions of twine engaged within the jaw may readily move outwardly toward the ledge A33. This enables the encircling twine, at the start of the stripping motion of the knotter head, to

come somewhat closer to the point of the knotter beak and thereby better insure that the strippers will engage behind, rather than at the region of, th encircling twine. As the encircling twine is subsequently held by the strippers and the knotter beak is withdrawn therefrom, the pull on the twin portions which are engaged within the jaw will pull them into the region of the ledge A33 in side by side relation and against the shoulder A32. This conformation of the mating surfaces of the upper and lower jaws I59 and I60 bietter adapts the knotter head to different sizes of twine.

Another feature of my present invention is concerned with the mounting of the twine catcher I23 on its block I20 and the conformation of the co-operating juxtaposed surfaces of the button of the twine catcher and of the block I20.

The button of the twine catcher I23 is beveled or frusto-conical at its peripheral edge A35. The

inner face A36 of the button of the twine catcher forms a but-slightly rounded corner with the tapered edge A35. The stem I2I is received within an inner bearing A31 and an outer hearing A38. The inner bearing A31 fits the stem reasonably closely, but the outer bearing A33 is quite loose to permit considerable oscillation of the stem. A spring I22, interposed between the rear face of the block I20 and a lock nut on the stem, urges the inner face A36 of the twine czlttclher button against the front face A39 of the b 00 The conformation of the face A39 is one of the features of my present invention. The face A39 is somewhat spiral so that it represents approximately a convolution of a helix with a small axial advance. This helix starts at an approximately radial shoulder A40 and extends counterclockwise (Fig. lOa) with a gradual outward (toward the reader) progression back to the shoulder A40. The height of the shoulder A40 is somewhat less than the minimum diameter of twine to be employed. As a result of this helical conformation of the face A39, it appears in the plan view of Fig. 10b to be inclined. The corner of the block opposite the shoulder A40 is generally rounded off and the two intermediate corners are rounded off to a lesser degree.

The shoulder A40 comes at the upper righthand (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) corner of the block, that is, at the upper corner of the block toward the knotter head. The resulting somewhat oblique disposition of the face A39, as best shown in the drawing of Fig. 10b and the bottom view of Fig. 10d, tends to urge the stem I2I of the twine catcher toward the left-hand side of its bearing A31. The highest-or more properly the outermostregion of the face A39, as it isengaged by the button face A36, is toward the right of the stem, that is, toward the knotter. Consequently, twine caught by the twine catcher is engaged more tightly on the right side of the face A39.

This feature is of peculiar advantage. The original reach of twine T4, as well as the reach T6, are yieldingly held by the twine catcher. Under suflicient tension some additional length of twine can be, and generally is, pulled from the twine catcher. This additional pulling out may be from either or both of two causes. One is the tension of the two reaches T4 and T6 as they are carried to the right and beneath the knotter beak by the free end of the U-shaped projection I35 of the sliding plate I32. The other is the tension created by the revolution of the knotter beak to encircle itself by the two reaches of twine. Both of these tension actions result from the necessity of increased lengths of twine for the two reaches. The increased length may come from either or both of two sources. It may come from pulling some more twine through the twine catcher. Or, it may come from the twine wraps, bypulling them tighter. How much will come from the latter source-the wraps-depends on how soft or compressible the bundle or package is in relation to how tightly the twine is held by the twine catcher. The bundles or packages will vary in softness or compressibility. Sometimes the additional twine will come wholly from the wraps, sometimes wholly from the twine catcher, sometimes partly from each.

Thus the short tail TI by which the reach T4 of twim .s anchored to the twine catcher will be partially pulled through the twine catcher to a variable or unpredetermined extent. In some instances the anchoring tail TI of the twine may be pulled so far that it is held only by its very end at the right-hand side of the twine catcherthe sisie from which it emerges. If the twine catcher held tighter on the left side than on the right side, the twine end would not be held suiliciently tightly during the knotting operation. But by my present invention the face A39 is so contoured, and the button I23 is so mounted, that the twine is held most tightly on the right side. Therefore, during the knotting operation, the reach T4 of twine is held adequately and with uniform tension no matter how short the anchoring tail TI left in the twine catcher happens to be.

This makes the anchorage and release for the reach T4 of twine more positive and satisfactory and does not tend to dislodge the anchorage for 'the new reach of twine which extends between the twine catcher and free end of the wrapping arm 92.

The reach of twine T6 in extending from the twine catcher to the knotter head passes from the top side of the twine catcher and lies along the shoulder A40. The shoulder A40 thus serves as an abutment better to hold up the twine catcher end of the twine reach T6 so that it will be severed by the cutter and kept spaced sufficiently above the original reach of twine T4 so that it will not be engaged by the groove I 85 along with the reach T4. The inclination of the face A39 is such as to discourage the button being tilted toward the free end of the extension I35 of the sliding plate I32, so that the free end thereof may come just above the button of the twine catcher in moving the twine under the knotter beak, but still avoid danger of the twine catcher button binding against the bottom face of the extension I35.

If the bearing for the stem did not permit any oscillation and the front face A39 of the block I20 were flat rather than somewhat helically conformed, the tension of the twine holder on the twine and its adaptability to different sizes of twine would depend solely on the axial outward movement of the stem I2I against the pressure of the spring I22. That would tend to cause selfcamming action on the twine. By providing the front face of the block A39 with the contour as shown and providing for oscillation of the outer end of the stem I2I, the tightening of the twine between the button and the face A39 tends to pull the stem I2 I, within its oversize bearing A39, to the right, that is, toward the twine catcher. As a result the twine catcher will hold different diameters of twine with a fairly uniform tension cumulate in the bearing A38, they would eventually clog it and render the twine catcher unsatisfactory in operation.

While I have shown and described these specific embodiments of my present invention, I contemplate that changes and substitutions may be made thereover without departing from the scope or spirit of my invention. The improvements concerned with the stripper, the jaws of the knotter beak, and the crown of the knotter head are claimed in my Patent No. 2,182,959 issued on the present application of which this is a division.

I claim:

1. A tying machine comprising a wrapper for placing a twine about a package to form one or more wraps thereabout, a twine catcher for anchoring an initial end of the twine during the wrapping and for receiving andanchoring also a region of the twine beyond the wrapping portion of the twine, a knotter to one side of the twine catcher. operating jointly on the reaches of twine which extend between the twine catcher and the wrapping portion to knot them together, and means for releasing the initial end from the twine catcher and for severing the secondanchored of said reaches between the knot and twine catcher, leaving the second-anchored region held by the twine catcher as the initial twine end for the succeeding cycle of the machine, the twine catcher comprising a button, a block having a face for co-operating with the button to retain the twine therebetween, and

means for urging the button toward the face, the face being contoured as a helical convolution which approaches the button in the same arcuate direction as that in which the twine is received in the twine catcher.

2. A tying machine comprising a wrapper for placing a twine about a package to form one or more wraps thereabout, a twine catcher for anchoring an initial end of the twine during the wrapping and for receiving and anchoring also a region of the twine beyond the wrapping portion of the twine, a knotter to one side of the twine catcher operating jointly on the reaches of twine which extend between the twine catcher and the wrapping portion to knot them together, and means for releasing the initial end from the twine catcher and for severing the secondanchored of said reaches between the knot and and without the necessity of adjusting the tension twine catcher, leaving the second-anchored region held by the twine catcher as the initial twine end for the succeeding cycle of the machine, the twine catcher comprising a button, a block having a face for co-operating with the button to retain the twine therebetween, and means for urging the button toward the face, the face being contoured as a helical convolution approaching nearer to the button at the side which is toward the knotter.

3. A tying machine comprising a wrapper for placing a twine about a package to form one or more wraps thereabout, a twine catcher for anchoring an initial end of the twine during the wrapping and for receiving and anchoring also a region of the twine beyond the wrapping portion of the twine, a knotter to one side of the twine catcher operating jointly on the reaches of twine which extend between the twine catcher and the wrapping portion to knot them together, and means for releasing the initial end from the twine catcher and for severing the second-anchored of said reaches between the knot and twine catcher, leaving the second-anchored region held a direction toward the knotter, along and against which shoulder the second-anchored reach of twine lies during the knotting.

4. A tying machine comprising a wrapper for placing a twine about a package to form one or more wraps thereabout, a tw ne catcher for anchoring an initial end of the twine during the wrapping and for receiving and anchoring also a region of the twine beyond the wrapping portion of the twine, a knotter to one side of the twine catcher operating jointly on the reaches of twine which extend between the tw ne catcher and the wrapping portion to knot them together, and means for releasing the initial e d from the twine catcher and for severing the secondanchored of said reaches between the knot and twine catcher, leaving the second-anchored region held by the twine catcher as the ini ial twine end for the succeeding cyc e of the machine, the twine catcher comprising a button. a block having a face for co-operating with the button to retain the twine therebetween, and means for urging the button toward the face, the face being contoured to engage the twine more tightly on the side toward the knotter.

5. A tying machine comprising a wrapper for placing a twine about a package to form one or more wraps thereabout, a twine catcher for anchoring an intial end of the tw ne during the wrapping and for receiving and anchoring also a region of the twine beyond the wrapping portion of the twine, a knotter to one side of the twine catcher operating jointly on the reaches of twine which extend between the twine catcher and the wrapping portion to knot them together, and means for releasing the intial end from the twine catcher and for severing the secondanchored of said reaches between the knot and twine catcher, leaving the second-anchored region held by the twine catcher as the initial twine end for the succeeding cycle of the machine, the twine catcher comprising a button. a stem therefor, a block having a face for cooperating with the button to receive and retain the twine therebetween, a bearin in the block for mounting the stem for axial mov ment, and spring means urging the button toward the face to pinch the twine, the bear ng bein oversized to permit the button to shift la erai v oward the knotter against the tension of the s r ng means.

6. A ty'ing machine comprising a wrapper for placing a twine about a package to form one or more wraps thereabout, a twine catcher for anchoring an initial end of the twine during the wrapping and for receiving and anchoring also a region of the twine beyond the wrapping portion of the twine, a knotter at one side of the twine catcher operating jointly on a first reach of twine extending from the initial end anchored on the twine catcher to the start of the wrapping, and on a second reach of twine extending from the end of the wrapping portion to the second anchored region of twine onthe twine catcher to knot them together, the knotter including a beak which rotates about a transverse axis to length of the movement between the three posiencircle itself by the two reaches, a pivotally mounte" tip-up arm opposite the package and on the side of the knotter remote from the twine catcher for engaging the second reach of twine to shift it toward the package and between the package and the path of the rotating beak whereby the beak, in rotating, will encircle itself with the second reach along with the first reach, the tie-up arm having a face with a twine receiving slot, the posterior wall of which is extended beyond its anterior wall, and means for effecting the pivotal mounting and upswinglng of the tipup arm, the radius of said face of the tip-up arm from its pivotal mounting, and the location of the pivotal mounting in relation to the path of twine placed by the wrapper and in relation to the twine catcher, bringing the tip-up arm, on its upward swing, into initial engagement with the twine at said face, the said face being oblique in reference to its arc of movement about the pivotal mounting, for camming the twine, following its initial engagement by the face, inwardly into the bight of the slot.

7. A tying machine comprising a wrapping arm for placing a twine about a package to form a plurality of wraps, a twine catcher for anchoring an initial end of the twine during the wrapping and for receiving and anchoring also an extension of the twine beyond the wrapping portion of the twine, a knotter at one side of the twine catcher and nearer the package and operating jointly On a first reach of twine extending from the initial end anchored on the twine catcher to the start of the wraps and on a second reach of the twinethe said extension-extending from the end of the wraps to the twine catcher to knot the two reaches together, the knotter including a beak which rotates about a transverse axis to encircle itself by the two reaches, a draw slide member, and means for reciprocating and guiding the draw slide member to cause a twine engaging portion thereof successively in the cycle of the machine to assume three positions, to-wit:

a first position, laterally offset outwardly from the plane of the twine wrapping, swiped by the twine extending from the Wrapping arm during the preliminary wrap or wraps to pass the twine clear of retentive engagement by the twine catcher, a second position, longitudinally spaced away from the twine catcher and offset substantially inwardly from the outer edge of the twine catcher, to permit the twine to be retentively engaged by the twine catcher toward the end of the. final wrap and a third position for carrying the twine of the second reach to the side of the knotter beak remote from the twine catcher before the twine-encircling rotation of the knotter.

8. A tying machine, according to claim 1, wherein the reciprocating and guiding means comprise co-operating slot andpin elements, one

of the elements being fixed and the other being.

on the draw slide, the slot elements comprising two slots extending in more or less end-to-end relation and extending more or less parallel to the wrapping plane and of length to permit the pin elements to travel in the slots throughout the tions of the draw slide, one of the slots having a relatively abrupt oblique portion connecting parallel but laterally offset portions and disposedin reference to-its co-operating pin element-between the first and second positions.

9. A tying machine comprising a wrapping arm for placing a twine about a package to form a plurality of wraps, a twine catcher for anchoring an initial endof the twine during the wrapping and for receiving and anchoring also an extension of the twine beyond the wrapping portion of the twine, a knotter at one side of the twine catcher and nearer the package and operating jointly on a first reach of twine extending from the initial end anchored on the twine catcher to the start of the wraps and on a second reach of the twine-the said extensionextending from the end of the wraps to the twine catcher to knot the two reaches together, a draw slide member, and means for reciprocating and guiding the draw slide member to cause a twine engaging portion thereof to assume in the cycle of the machine two positions, to-wit: a first position, laterally oilset outwardly from the plane oi! the twine wrapping, swiped by the twine extending from the wrapping arm during the preliminary wrap or wraps to pass the twine clear 01 retentive engagement by the twine catcher, and a second position, longitudinally spaced away Irom the twine catcher and offset substantially inwardly from the outer edge of the twine catcher, to pertion 01 the twine, a knotter at one side of the twine catcher and nearer the package and operating jointly on a first reach of twine extending from the initial end anchored on the twine catcher to the start of the wraps and on a sec ond reach of the twine-the said extenslonextending from the end of the wraps to the twine catcher to knot the two reaches together, a draw slide member, and means for reciprocating and guiding the draw slide member to cause a twine engaging portion thereof to assume two positions, to-wit: a first position, laterally ofiset outwardly from the plane or the twine wrapping, swiped by the twine extending from the wrapping arm during the preliminary wrap or wraps to pass the twine clear of retentive engagement by the twine catcher, and a second position, longitudinally spaced away from the twine catcher and offset substantially inwardlyfrom the outer edge of the twine catcher, to permit the twine to be retentively engaged by the twine catcher toward the end of the final wrap, said reciprocating and guiding means comprising a pair of generally parallel slots in the draw slide member, and fixed guide pins extending into the respective slots, one of the slots having a portion laterally oflset from its body whereby when the associated pin passes from the body of the slot into the ofi'set end of the slot, the twine-contacting portion of the slot is shifted to its said ofiset position.

. BENJAMIN H. BUNN- {Pfitent "he. 23271;, 25.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

- Februar at, 19L 2.

BENJAMIN H, BUN'N.

It is hereby certified, that error hppears in the printed specification 'of the above numbered patent i'equiring correction as follows: Page 5, sec- 0nd column, line 56, for "generally" read --generous1y-; page 7, second column, line 9, claim 6, for "tie-up" read -tip-up--; and line 58, claim '8,

for iclaim 1" read. --claim- 7---; and that the said Letters Patent should be readwith this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office. Signed and sealed this 21st day of April, A. D. 191m.

v Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Act ng'connnissioner of Patents. 

